The New Reality: February 4

It happened to the dinosaurs, and it could happen to us if we are not prepared: a killer asteroid. Thousands of meteorites bombard Earth every year. Most of them cause little destruction but NASA knows that the risk of an Earth-destroying asteroid heading our way is a real concern. The first big step forward in a plan to defend the planet is the DART program. During the first-of-its-kind mission, a spacecraft slammed into an asteroid to push it off orbit. On this week’s episode of The New Reality, Su-Ling Goh looks at what was learned from the DART mission and how Canadian scientists are helping NASA’s planetary defence program. Plus, with gas prices remaining high and Canadians looking to cut their emissions, electric vehicles are becoming the preferred choice for many. Sales of EVs skyrocketed last year, increasing by 75 per cent worldwide. But innovation brings with it new questions— like what happens to the car’s massive battery pack when it dies? Krista Hessey goes inside a Canadian company on a mission to solve this future waste problem and help deal with a looming critical minerals crisis.